


Consumed and Enthralled (Indirectly)

by Anonymous



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: 11001001, 1x14, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other, S1ep14, off-screen sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-24 01:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9692744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: In which things go somewhat differently on the holodeck in 1x14, and three isn't so much a crowd as Jean-Luc assumed.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I'm the first person to tag and use Minuet in a fic on this site.

She was pressed into him, they were dancing and kissing. He knew, intellectually, that it was simply a holodeck simulation. But at the moment, she was perfect. After all the time on this starship, without anyone, he’d been taking who he could get. Whoever here or there, occasionally some of the other officers who were just as lonely, or willing, or both, (Yar, Troi...Data, other holodeck simulations…) Mistress Beata even. And if the name he gasped was the wrong one, well, most of the others weren’t any better about remembering who they were supposed to be desiring at the moment. Such transgressions were typically forgiven and ignored. But he wasn’t thinking about them now. He was focused on Minuet. And certainly not on-

Captain Picard stood in the doorway, observing. “Astounding.”

“Captain!” He exclaimed hurriedly. Riker quickly pulled back. He was pretty sure-...actually no, he had no idea if the captain had any idea just how much time his Number One spent on such activities. He hoped not, however. For a Starfleet Commanding Officer, any amount of time wasted on...frivolous activies, and generally being unproductive was too much time.

The superior officer didn’t show any disapproval, quite the opposite judging by his grin. “Oh, I’m sorry, Number One, I didn't mean to interrupt.” He held up a hand, as though attempting to placate or pacify, and began backing out.

Will was definitely fine with the approval. He wasn’t a child, he didn’t need Captain Picard to disapprove. This was fine. “No, it's all right. Come on in.” Minuet ran her-it’s?-thumb over his lips, hand still on his face.

“You picked a wonderful locale,” Picard said, as he walked towards them, still grinning. “This is something I might have chosen myself.” He stopped by them-closer, Riker noted, to Minuet than himself.

“Aren't you going to introduce me?” The program in question asked as Picard turned to face her.

“Yes, of course,” he half muttered. But why should he feel embarrassed? The only ones here to notice the lapse in etiquette were a simulation and his captain. The latter who had already, Will believed, seen him at his worst, what with that whole business with Q. He composed himself. “Captain Picard, this is Minuet. Minuet, Captain Jean-Luc Picard.” He found himself unable to say the other’s name without a heavy French accent slipping through, as happened every other time he attempted the full name. It wasn’t mocking-not even entirely friendly teasing, as Picard’s ‘Number One’ could be at times, though that was part of it. The rest was just a natural inclination of how the Captain’s name was supposed to be said, even if he knew he was going a bit heavy on the accent, considering his relative ability in French. (He’d noticed many other crew members doing the same thing, so he knew it wasn’t just him.)

“Enchantee,” She reached out and took his hand, “Comme c'est merveilleux de vous voir ici.”

“Incroyable.” Jean-Luc’s face was blank, which made his shock obvious to Riker. “Vous etes Parisienne?” She tilted her head to the side and shrugged, as Will stared at his captain wide-eyed. “Au fond, c'est vrai, nous sommes tous Parisiens.”

Now the captain was smiling. “Oui, au fond,” the captain was nodding, “Nous sommes tous Parisiens. The spirit of that city can always enchant my soul.”

“I have been hoping to meet you.” She nodded.

The Captain’s tone became almost flat. “Oh. Have I been the subject of conversation?” Obviously, he was expecting the worst, to hear his first officer’s complaints about him. As if Riker had any complaints about Jean-Luc.

Her eyes darted towards Riker. “Indirectly.” Will gave a strained smile of agreement, it was doubtful that would help assuage the captain’s fears. In fact, it would almost certainly have the opposite effect. But- “Come, join us, Jean-Luc,” she invited with a giggle. She pulled Will to the bar, Captain Jean-Luc following. She sat down. “A glass of wine?” She offered.

“Thank you.” Picard sat down as well. His first officer remained standing behind the computer-generated woman, one hand on the bar supporting part of his weight.

Minuet began pouring the wine. “Will was saying how much he enjoys this assignment. It's a credit to you.” At this, Riker wagged his eyebrows at his superior suggestively, before relaxing into a grin, gazing at them both. “For a ship and crew to function well it always starts with the Captain,” she slid the man she was speaking to his drink, “You set the tone.”

Captain Picard held up his glass, almost as if in toast. Riker, however, didn’t get a glass. “At the moment, it's you who are setting the tone.” He took a drink and turned towards the other human in the simulation, “The sophistication of this programming is remarkable.”

As programmed, she put her glass down. “In what way?”

Mirroring her, he put his glass down, but kept both hands on it. “The holodeck has given us woodlands and ski slopes, figures that fight and fictional characters with which we can interact, but you…” he paused. “You're very different. You adapt. You spoke to me in French.”

Will turned his gaze fully on her, contemplating, in part Picard’s words. “It was very simple. When I heard your name, I merely accessed the foreign language bank.” Will let out an amused huff and smiled the same smile he wore when Data said something which particularly disregarded societal norms.

Seeing his second in command’s face and hearing Minuet’s words, Jean-Luc grinned. “That's very impressive.”

“Oui, mon chou.”

They spoke more, eventually migrating to the table as Picard pointed out Riker didn’t have anywhere to sit, had no drink, and was hardly speaking. He convinced his fellow command officer to tell a story which he’d heard only the latter half of once, and Riker obliged.

“And the boy never found out?” Minuet asked at the end of the tale.

Will smiled, “Oh, yes, but not until later when he came back into the room with his little sister.”

“I'll bet both of them were all smiles,” the holodeck’s latest creation hazarded a guess.

“Yes, but by that time both of them had been found out,” Riker explained, looking between her and the human of his audience.

“You handled that in a very thoughtful way. You're very good with people. Don't you agree, Jean-Luc?”

Upon being addressed, the man spoke-breaking his furrowed gaze away from her- though not to answer her question, indeed, not even speaking to her but to his right hand man. “She's so very different from the images we've experienced on the holodeck, isn't she? She's...she’s more intuitive.”

Will held back a sigh. “It's as though she's been plugged into my subconscious. She already knows what I want her to say before I'm aware of it myself,” he instead responded with a grin.

“I suppose it's an understandable progression,” the captain theorised with a smile, leaning back in, though still not getting as close as the other two. “Computers make decisions based on inputs and we humans give off a multitude of subtle signs that…” he faltered as Minuet took Will’s hand, “that communicate our emotions.”

“It's uncanny. I could develop feelings for Minuet, exactly as I would for any woman.” He sounded at least halfway there already.

“Doesn't love always begin that way? With the illusion being more real than the woman?”

“Oh, Jean-Luc, spoken like a true Frenchman.” Everyone smiled at the woman’s words, Riker ducking his head slightly to hide his.

 Noticing the atmosphere as Minuet began to kiss Will’s knuckles, Picard began to stand up, “Well, I think I'll be leaving.”

“Oh, don't go!” Minuet looked up, startled.

Picard shot back, “Two's company.”

“We have time. There's no rush. I'd really like it if you would stay,” Minuet spoke slowly to empathize her words.

“Yes, Captain, stay.” Riker barely avoided winking or letting too much innuendo escape.

Picard pointed at Minuet, “This is your diversion, Number One, not mine,” he raised his eyebrows significantly.

Minuet opened her mouth to object once more, but paused with a shaken head and a mouthed ‘let me’ from Will. He stood up, keeping one hand entwined with Minuet’s and putting the other on the captain’s shoulder. “Nothing stopping it from being your diversion too. We’d both-really love, if you stayed. More the merrier, to argue with your idea two’s company. Come on, Jean-Luc, stay. All the other crew members are socializing with their fellows. So unless you have something against me, no reason we can’t...have fun as well.” He raised his eyebrows significantly. “With the lovely lady, of course,” he hastened to add after a short pause, terrified he’d gotten a bit too...overt. He kissed her knuckles lightly.

Will went to sit down again, keeping his hand on the other man’s shoulder, grinning in triumph as the elder man sat down as well. “If you’re certain, Number One-”

“Oh, I am,” Will said quickly, with a grin and a nod. He looked around contemplatively. “Though, it’s a bit...noisy in here. Not very comfortable. Maybe we should change the setting, get rid of the band?”

Minuet stood up, taking Will with her. “Oh, no need! There’s a separate room in back there.” She gestured, then bit her lip.

Will looked at his captain encouragingly, gesturing for him to follow.

“Number One, are you-”

“Yes, Jean-Luc. Now come on...don’t you know, it’s rude to keep a lady waiting.” A wink. Some whistles from the band.

After much more encouragement, all three ended up in the room, then things commenced.

* * *

After, she said only ten words before shooing them out. “When you both next need me again, I’ll be here.”

“Computer, exit,” Picard said as they walked towards the wall they had entered from, somewhat worried for a moment as he remembered his last holodeck excursion.

This time however, the door opened. Riker opened his mouth to say something, only for it to change into a swear as he noticed the red alert. They took off to find the cause, the events of a minute ago all but forgotten for the time being.

* * *

When all was said and done (and Will couldn’t help but note to himself how easily they’d fallen in sync when it was required for the computers, and how they even stood up at the same time after), he considered asking to speak to the captain in private. Instead, he simply asked permission to leave the Bridge. It was granted, but the captain didn’t follow, so he went to the holodeck alone.

He tried everything he could, but, it seemed Minuet was gone for good. Replaced by a low-end alternative. A cheap look-a-like. He went to inform the captain-a easy way to gauge his reaction to what had happened. “She's gone. I tried variations of the program, others appeared, but not Minuet,” he informed, standing perhaps a tad close.

“Maybe it was all part of the Bynar's programming.” If Riker had to put a name to Picard’s expression, it might be wistful. “But you know, Number One, some relationships just can't work.”

If that wasn’t an answer and assurance they wouldn’t talk about it all wrapped into one, Riker wouldn’t know what was. “Yes, probably true. She'll be difficult to forget.” He went and sat back down in his seat, and stayed there a few minutes before standing up and going towards Tasha. She was real, at least, and wouldn’t completely drop him after. Even though he knew it’s be the captain’s name she’d hear. Back to the status quo.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, the Bynars and their planet were still saved. 
> 
> So, I have at least five shows I need to catch up on. I get five days off in a row. My brain decides to start watching Star Trek instead since it's seen a few random episodes on BBC America. Then it decides to think up fic. This is about the fifth fic idea I came up with, and I decided to just write it so I can hopefully chill. And actually finish something, for once. So here you go. Obligatory 'never done anything relating to this fandom including reading fics'. Also obligatory 'I haven't even completed season one' apology/warning. 
> 
> Also, I get that the show seems to be trying to avoid overtly pairing any characters together and only having some flirting, which is all well and good in the 80s-90s...but now just has me seeing everyone in some weird love dodecahedron. With Worf and Wesley standing off to the side staring in confusion and vague disgust. Which explains a good portion of this fic. Sorry...but also kinda not. I spent episodes trying to not see it that way, but alas. 
> 
> Title comes from Minuet's quote: "So, tell me about your work. What is it about it that consumes and enthralls you?" And then her answer to Picard's question of if they were talking about him. I also considered putting the title in French, but decided that'd be overkill.
> 
> I considered making it episode compliant(ish) (more) by having it be in the time we were seeing the evacuation and such, but then Picard's quotes about three being a crowd wouldn't make sense. So it was going to be noncompliant either way, I guess. Oops. Also sorry for all the epithets and such, but I hope people enjoyed. (GAH I just noticed the length of this author's note, sorry!)


End file.
